We are not limited to producing great aerial photographs or videos, we can also produce stunning property photography of the interior and exterior of your home or property. Having a good camera helps take a good photo, however, to produce great, colourful images we also use HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques to get a more vibrant photo.

HDR photography means that we can capture dark areas, like the corner of the room, light areas (near windows) and the middle,light areas which take up most of the shot. We then take the 3 images, combine the best parts of each photograph to create a good photograph.

For Example

We take 3 photographs of different brightnesses:

We can combine these images together using photography software and then change different settings to create a photo we are happy with

This technique we use almost always to enhance all of our photographs. We use a similar technique in the videos to add colour and brighten up the video footage.

We use Photoshop for photographs and Premiere Pro for video editing...

Aerial photography used to be quite an inaccessible concept for most, however, with the fast moving developments in the area of drone technology, aerial photographs, or HD (High Definition) video are possible, even recommended in certain circumstances.

Drone photography/ videography has a vast array of uses, the most popular being for real estate, holiday rentals, land disputes, search and rescue, roof/structural inspection, even the production of unique Christmas photos or videos for family back home…

Up until a few years ago aerial photography used to be incredibly expensive, however, the up and coming drone technology has made it more affordable than ever…you can now have video footage or high quality images, taken from angles not possible with conventional cameras, showcasing your property in its surroundings. A good aerial photograph can enhance your property

Most aerial photography is taken by drone, so, there is some useful info listed below you may wish to read before you enlist your local “Biggles” to come and overfly your property.

The Pilot in Command (PIC)

A Drone Pilot must have the following credentials before being able to earn a cent from flying his/her drone – ask to see them if you have any concerns – they will prove that the drone pilot is at the very least competent to fly the drone .

A class 2 or light aircraft pilots medical license

Accreditation from an ATO (Approved Training Organisation – Grupooneair.es in Malaga is where I gained my qualifications) which provide a certificate for advanced aviation theory and a practical aircraft handling examination…This is approved by the Spanish Civil Aviation Authority - AESA

Public Liability Insurance…very important!!!

A drone pilot is trained to fly SAFELY above any other consideration – they will not fly the drone if there is a risk of danger to people, animals or property and will make a visual inspection of the area before any flight is made to assess potential risks.

The Drone

There are quite a few professional level drones available off the shelf, DJI Phantom models being the most popular. These are expensive and sophisticated pieces of hardware, certainly not toys…in the wrong hands they are a danger to the public…The drone will have a range of up to 7km on average, however, the pilot will keep the drone within 500 metres as a rule. Modern drones have an incredible array of safety features, which together with a trained pilot, will drastically reduce the chances of anything going wrong.

The main asset of the drone (apart from being able to fly) is its camera. These range from 12 megapixels to 20 megapixels and can produce stunning pictures (especially after editing), furthermore, they can produce stunning 4K, Ultra HD video, although most is “downscaled” to be used on You Tube or websites..still stunning, just smaller file sizes…

Basic Laws – Common Sense

The laws in Spain are numerous regarding drones, however, there are a few basic rules to follow which generally are considered common sense.

Fly within visual line of site, 500m normally (qualified drone pilots can fly outside of this with special permissions)

There are hundreds of laws and nuances not covered by this article (privacy laws for example), however, if you are thinking of having aerial photography work carried out, a qualified drone pilot will know what is allowed and what is not, will be able to offer advice; and will make sure that your aerial video or photographs are produced with a minimum of fuss.

Alan Sunderland – www.aerialphotos.website

Do I need it?

In short, you do not NEED aerial photography, however, it can provide unique pictures (or videos) of your property which you do not get to see using traditional land based photography...

These images can sometimes add real value to your accommodation website, make your real estate listings stand out and sometimes, they just look good. I have taken lots of aerial photographs for accommodation, only to find that the owner wants a framed, large print of the property (which I can provide) up to around 60cm x 40cm....they do look effective (70€).

Expensive and Difficult to find someone to do it!

Aerial Photography used to be expensive and difficult to arrange, now, it can be done for a fraction of the price and can generally be organised within a couple of days... Prices are pretty competitive:

Here´s a thought!!

Here is a scenario....I am selling my house for 100,000€... It has been on the market for 3 months and had a couple of viewings (sound familiar)...The people who come looking, are not sure of the area or surroundings, how much outside space there is, what the views are like, how far away are the nearest neighbours etc.

The estate agent may earn 4% or 5% commission - that´s 4,000€ - 5,000€.. Why not spend 100€ - 150€ to show the clients what they are missing, showing your property in its location, showing the immediate environment.

Would You buy this? - Looks nice (its not for sale by the way)

Lets introduce a little height and distance, a few different angles

Showing the house in its environment - more saleable?

Set in great surroundings and comes with the strip of land its located in. Oh, and the video it came with shows a lot more.....

Do I need Aerial Photography? - It can help enhance your listing, it can show off the great location, it can give the client an idea of whats on offer...and it doesn´t cost the earth!!!

Here is where I am going to start posting articles about the drone world, what interests me and what I am looking to do.